On April 26, Hinsdale Central’s International Club hosted the ninth annual Ethnic Fair in the gym. This year, the show featured performances that encompassed four continents and even more nationalities and cultures. Each performance consisted of a group of two to three students, except the last performance, which consisted of more than 25 students. The night started off with two students singing the National Anthem. From there, the performances ranged from Midnight Rave performing to Chinese martial arts.
“I thought the coolest performances were the Indian/Pakistani singing with a fusion of modern American songs, and I really liked the last Indian dance as well,” said Priyanka Kadari, freshman. “I thought it was really cool that so many [students] were willing to express their ethnicity, and [the last act] danced really well.”
Some are even inspired to learn those styles. “All the acts were incredible, but the Bollywood dancing performance was amazing. I want to take Bollywood dancing classes now,” said Morgan Fitzgerald, sophomore.
Kadari went to the Ethnic Fair because a lot of her friends were performing in it. Fitzgerald went because her friends were performing in it and for another reason. “I’ve always been intrigued by other cultures and their traditions; this was the perfect opportunity to be immersed in other cultures and have fun with friends,” Fitzgerald said.
Both Kadari and Fitzgerald think the Ethnic Fair is a good stage for showing Central’s cultural diversity. “I like to see our peers taking pride in their country and to see how they express it through dancing and singing. I also think it helps us recognize and appreciate the great student diversity we have at our school,” Kadari said.
“I think the purpose [of the fair] is to help students have a better understanding of each other. We all come from such different backgrounds and it can be hard to step out of that little box, but the ethnic fair erases the lines! Plus, it was fun. Some of my friends performed and it was like seeing an entirely different side of them,” said Fitzgerald.
